Lukashenko orders to intensify criminal investigation at Bereza power plant

The investigation of the criminal case at the Bereza state district power plant should be intensified, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered when visiting the power plant on 14 August, BelTA has learned.

Currently, the power plant continues the upgrade of Unit No. 5, which was supposed to be completed in 2010. The upgrade project envisages increasing the unit capacity from 160MW to 240MW. As the President was informed, his instruction on putting the unit into operation has not been fulfilled yet. At the same time, specialists say, the unit operates smoothly and produces the maximum of 163MW.

“If you started the unit just to show me that it works, and then it stops, no matter the reasons, or breaks down altogether, you will have no one to blame but yourselves! You will have no excuses to justify your story! Because I know all the intricate steps that were taken in the run-up to the visit. I was planning to come here a long time ago. But since you had nothing to show, there was no reason to come. Just 3 or 5 days ago you could start the turbine and it was the 25th attempt of yours," he said.

“Why I am saying this? Because it has happened several times already: you started the turbine, then it stopped because a bearing failed, then some lubricant, and so on. This is why I am asking whether you have settled all the issues,” the President asked. He was assured that the turbine will operate smoothly and will soon reach the nominal capacity.

Speaking to the personnel of the Bereza state district power plant, Alexander Lukashenko said that he visited the facility to see if unit No.5 was commissioned. “You say water is too hot in the lake and you cannot cool it down. It gives another type of steam and so on. Ok, let us wait until we have the proper water temperature, not 26°C but 15°C or 12°C, and make the final conclusions,” the President said. The further modernization of the plant will depend on the findings of experts, the head of state added.

“I have come here to see if my instruction has been fulfilled. Two units have been upgraded so far, but these were two different projects. There are no complaints about the project implemented in cooperation with China and there are a lot of issues related to the project done together with Russia,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “China has sent its specialists here in the run-up to the President’s visit. Yet we do not see representatives of Russia here,” the head of state said.

“The criminal case which has been opened and for some unknown reason has been recently held back will be resumed. Those guilty will be held accountable for all their wrongdoings,” the President stressed. “They must know how to use public money. All the expenses, as a hardest burden, lay on the shoulders of the population, mainly the production sector in the form of higher energy costs,” the head of state said. The Belarusian leader stressed that if the modernization of the unit had been completed in time, we would not have been talking about missed profits. Today we need to go into extra expenditure. “The responsibility will be tough, no one will be spared,” the President said.